Rommi Siht on Promise David's Estonia Journey: "I Would Have Sent Him Home!"

Nõmme Kalju's 19-year-old captain Rommi Siht recalls how Promise David arrived in Estonia as a complete unknown, so unconvincingly that Siht would have sent him straight home. Now David represents Canada ahead of the home World Cup and has developed into a world-class striker.

Nõmme Kalju captain Rommi Siht now watches Promise David's success with amazement as he reflects on their first meeting, a match that took place on 5 March 2023 in Viljandi Männimäe sports hall.

That day, in a League B match against Kohaliku Tulevik, Nõmme Kalju's U21 team faced off, with the then 19-year-old Promise David making his debut. "We were told a new striker with great potential was coming. I really didn't see any potential in that match," Siht admits. "I looked at it more as another big name being tested who didn't understand anything. You could tell he had the physical attributes right away, but the technique… it was very rough. I probably would have sent him home quite quickly!"

A dream written on a board

Siht, who spends more time on the pitch with Promise David than with any other Kalju player, describes how the striker changed dramatically during his time in Estonia. "When he arrived in Estonia he was one person, when he left he was completely different as a player and as a person. And now probably a third version," he says admiringly.

One moment stuck with Siht: Promise David wrote on the locker room board that he would play in the next World Cup. "We all took that as one big joke. We had a good laugh about it," the goalkeeper recalls. "But he knew what he wanted. The man had a goal in sight. He just needed time and hard work."

From Estonia to Belgium and the World Cup

Promise David scored consistently while playing in Estonia and moved to Belgium in April 2024. He now represents Canada at the national level, which hosts some matches at the home World Cup, a journey that began with a modest debut in Viljandi sports hall.